Euphoria
by serpentinial
Summary: "I can't believe I'm stuck with you!" He spat. "I'd take being unconscious any day!"... When a fresh wave of Death Eaters appear and Draco Malfoy is the only survivor of an attack, Draco is now stuck in the guidance of Hermione Granger. Trying to kill each other off is probably not a wise idea in starting a friendship.
1. Prologue

**Euphoria**

**Prologue**

_ EUPHORIA- A STATE OF INTENSE HAPPINESS_

…

Harry Potter, in his immaculate robes, went down the hall of the great Ministry of Magic, feeling greatly confused with all the chaos going around him and this new particular case.

Why, the great Harry James Potter wasn't even given the time to meet his fiancée, the Quidditch player, Ginny Weasley. Ever since Lord Voldemort has gone down, the heroes weren't given the chance to celebrate in peace. No, right after a good lengthy break of glorious peace, a wave of Death Eaters appeared, much to everyone's surprise and fear. It had left the Golden Trio and their friends very curious as to who the Death Eaters were. They were bent on trying to find out.

Harry made his way to the elevator.

"Good noon, Mr Potter," said an elf, shivering. "Oh dear, oh dear… my master… oh dear, I shall apparate," the clumsy elf had muttered, before disappearing with a puff.

Harry had thought the elf a little too odd, but, with a sense of nostalgia, compared him to poor Dobby.

The elevator opened with a little '_Ding!' _and Harry quickly walked to the Minister's Office. He knocked two times, one loud and one soft, and gave the door a little kick.

"Harry, you can come in," Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice said to him from inside the room. Harry opened the door.

"Settling in nicely, are we, Kingsley?" Harry joked, staring at the various paintings and frames on the wall. There was one of Dumbledore, and Harry's gaze lingered there for a moment. Kingsley cleared his throat, and with a grim smile, replied "Yes, yes, the room is quite comfortable."

Taking a look at the seats in front of the table, Harry cocked his head to the side in question.

"How completely impolite of me, Harry. Please, take a seat," Kingsley nodded, also nudging the small container of sweets.

Harry stared at it in wonder. "Sweets in the Minister's office," he muttered to himself, but Kingsley appeared to have heard him well. "I try to make bad situations seem not-so-bad," he answered. "And besides, I thought I could do this to honour old Dumbledore. He had a sweet tooth no one really bothered to mention."

Remembering Dumbledore, Harry took out a lemon drop. "May I have one?"

"You may."

Harry opened his mouth and savoured the tangy taste of lemon. It brought back a few memories, this one. Memories he had thought were long gone.

"You have mentioned that you used the sweets to make a bad situation seem a little more positive," said Harry, "Is this a bad situation we are about to discuss?"

Kingsley shuffled in his seat and looked at Harry straight in the eye.

"I am not sure," he replied to Harry's question. "It isn't _bad_, but it clearly doesn't mean anything good."

"You're confusing me, Minister."

"You remember the Malfoys, don't you?" asked Kingsley and Harry frowned.

"Do you think they started all this?" Harry asked in response.

Kingsley shook his head. "It's impossible. Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were found dead."

Somehow, fear settled in Harry's stomach. His jade eyes searched Kingsley's.

"Where? How?"

Kingsley tried to make light of the situation. "In the forest, by the Killing Curse. Of course they were killed instantly, there was no sign of a struggle. Must have caught them off guard."

"How… How about their _son_?" Harry felt compelled to ask. "Was Draco among those killed?"

"No. This is what we should discuss," Kingsley said in a grim tone, "Draco Malfoy was found unconscious and wounded next to them. We assumed that he fought with his parents' attackers before he was hexed unconscious. We do not know who their attackers are, but we intend to find out."

Harry gave Kingsley a questioning look. There was just something not adding up to this. "Why didn't they just kill him off? Like his parents?"

"I do not know," Kingsley replied, looking as baffled as Harry was, "But that is one thing we have to find out."

"Is Malfoy being questioned?"

"He's not awake. But we must question him once he does."

Harry stood up from his seat. "What do you want me to do, Minister?"

"You know what I'm asking you to do. Make a decision," said Kingsley, arranging the papers on his desk.

Slowly, Harry opened the door. "Will do, will do."

The only thing Harry heard before he closed the door was Kingsley's soft murmur.

"Make a good one, Harry. Make a good one."

**…**

"Hermione?"

Hermione Granger stirred on the sofa, ignoring the voice. She made a tiny groan and swatted the voice away from her, shutting her eyes. She didn't need this. Not when she still had something to do.

"Please, Hermione. This won't take long. Ginny's told me you've been sober and…"

Hermione opened one eye and glared at the unwelcome visitor. She adjusted her blanket and closed her eyes. "Go away, Harry. Ginny's wrong about my condition at the moment, as usual."

She heard Harry sigh deeply, and she forced herself to keep her eyes shut. Harry didn't like visiting her in the mornings. She was far from being a morning person, and she made sure that everyone knew it. Harry usually respected her schedule, so this might be an important matter. She hated to keep Harry away from her- it wasn't her usual self. Grudgingly, Hermione opened her eyes and struggled to sit up. Harry winced, taking in her dishevelled appearance.

"Where'd you drink last night?" asked Harry. Hermione groaned and sat up, her eyes red and her hair wild. "I had some extra in the kitchen," she answered, rolling her eyes immaturely. "Surely, Harry, you know of my addiction."

Harry looked down and shook his head. "Of all the ways you choose to forget, you choose the 'getting drunk and happy' one."

That comment seemed to infuriate Hermione even more. "Keep the comments to yourself, will you Harry? We all have ways of coping. This is mine."

"It's a damn shame it is, too. You _never_ drank."

"But now I do so let's just leave it at that."

Hermione shoved the blanket off her, and got to her feet. She hobbled unsteadily to the bathroom, pausing at times just to get herself steady. Harry's comment had definitely got to her. Hermione grunted. She sometimes missed the old her. That part of her was gone- along with the others who had died during the war. Hermione Granger was dead. This- this new monster- was the new her.

"You need help?" asked Harry.

Hermione shook her head. She finally made it to the restroom. Hermione placed all her hair to the side and lifted up the toilet seat. She proceeded; emptying her stomach of the drink she had last night and the microwaved chicken she had forced herself to digest.

Flushing the toilet, she wiped her mouth and brushed her teeth. When she came back, Harry was reading _Hogwarts: A History _on the sofa, looking uninterested as she did when it came to dating. Harry looked up and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is this your daily routine?"

"Not daily, no," Hermione replied. "This happens twice or thrice a week."

Shaking his head, Harry dropped the book and muttered, "Bollocks."

Hermione took a pillow and clutched it tightly. "Anything special you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes, actually," answered Harry. "I'll be straight to the point. I've got to inform tons of people."

"Okay then. You may fire away," said Hermione, waving her hand dismissively.

"The Malfoys are dead."

"Oh."

Harry watched as Hermione's hand went up to her mouth. Harry was relieved to see the old Hermione come back, even if just a little. He was every bit as damaged as she was, maybe even more, but he needed Hermione. He loved Ginny, but Harry loved Hermione as a sister, and it was killing him to see her so different, so opposed about everything.

"The attacks can't be their fault then!" Hermione exclaimed. "There was that one attack last night. And they were gone even before the attack from last night happened, weren't they?"

Harry nodded.

"How…?"

"We don't know. They were just found dead. And Malfoy Junior was found unconscious next to them," Harry said in response. "We're still trying to find out."

Hermione perked up. "You want me to help? I really can, you know, it's not much of a fuss and…"

"No, it's fine," said Harry, rejecting her offer. "You still have to translate those runes and get us some help with the spells and paperwork. Plus, you're also helping out as a Healer."

Folding her hands on her lap, Hermione bit her lip. "One suspect crossed out then, am I right?"

"Maybe, Hermione," Harry replied, shifting in his seat in unease.

Hermione frowned at her best friend. "There's something you're not telling me."

Sighing, Harry leaned forward and bore his bright, emerald eyes at her brown ones.

"What do we do with Draco Malfoy?"

She sat up straight and cocked her head to the side in confusion. "_What?_"

"What do we do with Draco Malfoy?" Harry repeated, furrowing his brows. "I need help. I have to choose what to do with him."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "We can't just throw him in with the Dementors, Harry."

"Wow, Hermione, I didn't know you thought I was that cruel," Harry joked, rolling his eyes, and Hermione laughed, just like old times. "But no, we won't get anything with tossing him to the Dementors. We need answers, 'Mione. _Answers_."

"Why don't you ask Ron?" asked Hermione. "Did you tell him yet?"

Harry shook his head. "Ron won't be serious about all this. He never really liked Malfoy, remember?"

Hermione scrunched up her nose. "Of course, how can I forget?"

"And besides, it was always you who stood up for equality and peace and…" Harry trailed off. They needed Hermione's forgiving nature for them to heal. He, too, realized that he needed Hermione's kind heart for him to start healing. Along with Ginny's love, maybe the nightmares would slowly go away. Harry then realized that maybe Hermione was hurting more than he was at the moment.

What did Hermione need?

"I think we should do the usual- questions, Veritaserum, and all of those. Then maybe we can make him work for us?" Hermione suggested, biting down on her lower lip. "I mean, it really is your choice, Harry. I won't mind. If he proves to be one of the good guys here, then maybe he'll actually be useful. Malfoy's smart, Harry. Remember Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded in response. "Malfoy could be handy in the near future."

Hermione massaged her temples and tried to ignore the continuous pounding in her head. "What do you mean, 'in the near future'?" She asked. "Aren't you going to continue the questioning today?"

"He's not exactly awake yet," Harry confessed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You mean-"

"He's still unconscious."

With a small shrug, Hermione snuggled with her pillow. "Well. That's all the advice I can give you, Harry. Don't be rash, though," Hermione added. She sighed into her pillow. Malfoy was tough work. He was undeniably proud, something Hermione quite detested in him. Harry seemed to know what she meant too, because he nodded and gave her a crooked smile.

"You might need to help with the Malfoy duties too," Harry said, getting up.

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Are you actually serious right now? He'll _toss me around_, Harry. He won't listen to some _Mudblood_-"

"_Hey!_" Harry cried, pointing a finger at her. "Don't ever call yourself that!"

Silently, Hermione nodded. "You understand, though, don't you? He won't listen to me."

"Well, if he doesn't listen to you, he would have proved himself to be lower than the lowest of scum, Hermione. Then maybe we can toss him to the Dementors," he grinned. Hermione tried to grin back, but her hangover was in full throttle.

Trying to shoo Harry away with her hand, Hermione winced. "I'll talk to you later, Harry. I have to go check on my Pepper Up supplies," she reasoned, motioning to her forehead. "My head is killing me."

With a nod, Harry turned his back towards Hermione and walked to the Floo. "Goodbye, Hermione. And take care of yourself. _Please_."

Hermione nodded quickly, then immediately stopped, as she felt the sharp stab of pain. "Yes, yes I will, Harry. Don't forget to contact me when something happens."

"Of course!" Harry called out before disappearing from her home.

With a sigh, Hermione prodded to the kitchen.

_Merlin, help me when Draco Malfoy is finally awake from his slumber,_ Hermione thought glumly.

**…**

**A/N: Here's a little Dramione fic I'm currently working on. I hoped you guys liked the Prologue so far! Draco hasn't made his grand debut yet, but I tell you, whatever Draco does is absolutely grand- including his entrance to this story. **

**If you liked it, leave me some reviews! I'd love to try and reply to them all!**

**~serpentinial**


	2. Crooked

**disclaimer: sadly, i don't own draco ****_hot stuff_**** malfoy**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Crooked**

Draco Malfoy awoke with a sputtering gasp and a wave of pain.

Then, his hands weakly tried to reach around for his wand. _Damn! Those bastards- where are they? _He frantically thought, his hands still moving around on the sheets. Then, with a sudden realization, Draco froze. He touched the smooth sheets again, and struggled to adjust his eyes to the unwelcome bright light that seemed to engulf him.

_Salazar's little fucker, am I actually dead? _

Draco blinked once- then twice- and finally saw something other than a maddening blur.

There were _things_ stuck to his arm, and a small rail was on both sides of the bed he was on. Draco clutched the sheets tightly and saw that he was wearing a thin hospital gown, and that there was some sort of monitor right beside him. Draco looked around once more and found two sofas in the room- one on his left and another on his right- and he studied the drapes that provided as the window curtain. He clearly was not back at the forest… So where was he?

Draco struggled to rack his brain with all the supreme knowledge he had and…

"St. Mungos," he gasped out hoarsely, finally grasping the idea of him being stuck at the hospital.

What happened?

Draco tried to sit up, but gave up when his back started to ache. He also had this urge to gulp down gallons and gallons of some cool water. With a groan, he realized that he wasn't going anywhere soon. But he needed to see for himself- he needed to know who those bastards who killed his parents were. He _needed_ to know. If he just wasn't careless, he could've pulled off that bloody mask to see who was behind it. He should've known there would be back-up. Draco cursed himself for being a fool.

He frantically looked around for his wand, but found that it wasn't in the room at all. Draco mumbled a string of profanity.

The monitor beside him ran smoothly, and he knew that it would alert all the Healers anytime now.

He just _knew _he had to escape.

Wincing, Draco bit his lip as he struggled to sit up on the bed. When he finally managed, he stretched out, biting back shouts of pain. He tugged on the lines and wires taped to his arm until it was detached, and placed both feet on the ground. Working quickly, he staggered to the drapery and noticed, with alarm, that the monitor had indeed gone off and was now emitting a strange noise. Draco can just hear the rush of footsteps coming towards his room.

_Oh great,_ Draco thought bitterly, pushing the drapes aside so he can have access to the window. Pushing it open quickly, he heaved his right leg out of it, not bothering to look down. There was another window just right next to his, so he can easily jump towards it. Of course, it doesn't matter that he was way up the ground- Draco found that he actually wasn't thinking straight anymore.

"What the blazes?" Draco heard someone cry out. He froze. _Damn, I wasn't fast enough._

Standing right in front of the door was a dishevelled Harry Potter, with his famous scar and all, looking amused and confused at the same time. He had his wand at the ready, pointed at Draco, and just right behind him were a few Healers and that redhead girlfriend of his. Suddenly, the Healers made way for a new spectator.

"What happened? Why-"

The person paused. Draco internally grumbled when he found out who the voice belonged to. His eyes roamed over her body, and then he looked at the ground outside the window again, his body still frozen in place.

"Well, I see that Sleeping Beauty is awake," Hermione joked, and Draco fought the urge to smack her with a broom.

Without much of a thought, Draco replied, "I don't see how that's funny," he sneered. His voice came out all scratchy and hoarse, and Draco's throat burned.

"What's funny is," Hermione retorted, her hands on her waist, "The sight of you trying to get out through the window in that poor excuse for clothing you have on."

Draco grunted and placed his right foot back on the floor. He looked down at the thin cloth he was wearing. "Well, I didn't have much of a choice now, did I?" He answered. "I woke up in this. It's not like I can actually magically dress better especially since _I don't have my wand_. I wonder where it is- oh, I know- it's _stuck up your ass_."

"You should know-"

Harry cut her off. "Will both of you just shut up?" He turned to Hermione. "Hermione, you should know that Mr Malfoy is still under the care of St. Mungos and has just woken up- you were the one telling me not to do anything rash."

Draco smirked. "Sounds like the hypocrite Granger I know."

Hermione sent him a dirty glare. "I liked it better when you were comatose and silent."

There was a little peculiar sound that came from the redhead. She faced Hermione and heaved a sigh. Taking both Hermione's shoulders, she steered Hermione out of the room. Draco can just hear Hermione yelling out her protests.

"Thank you, Gin," he heard Harry mutter. Draco just stood there, looking like he'd rather be someplace else.

He smirked at Harry and the rest of the Healers, who were now trying to get him back on his bed. He pushed them off easily, even with his weak body- that was, until, one Healer managed to place a spell on him, causing Draco to fumble and lose his balance. He grabbed hold of the rail at the edge of his bed and tightened his grip as he slowly began to close his eyes.

"Is this how you treat other recovering patients?" He managed to breathe out in a hoarse laugh as his eyes closed and he dropped to the floor in a pile.

Watching as the frantic Healers placed him back on his bed, Harry shook his head. "Only you, Malfoy. Only you."

**…**

* * *

**...**

"That… that _imbecile_!" Hermione seethed, chocolate brown eyes flaring. Ginny watched wearily as Hermione's knuckles turned white.

Hermione Granger was absolutely furious. She knew Malfoy would never be civil towards her, but she was hoping for some other outcome. It turns out that Malfoy was _still_ an arrogant, pompous prat with a brain the size of a peanut. It didn't help that he still had that sneaky little smirk mastered and that he was wearing something rather _inappropriate_ for wandering eyes.

Wandering _single_ eyes.

"Out of all the days in this month, I choose_ this_ day to stay sober," Hermione groaned, placing her head in her hands. She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, trying to forget everything that happened back in the room. She ached to have a sip of wine- _just a sip_- to help her get out of this mess. She desperately needed a few happy thoughts to put her mind at ease. If she didn't get her fix now, Hermione was afraid she'd have to stay cranky and irritable throughout the whole day.

"Hermione, you know how Malfoy is," Ginny tried to reason. She rubbed comforting circles on her friend's back. "He's just worked up. Probably just wanted to get away and get his wand back."

Hermione took a seat outside his room and snorted. She placed both hands on her lap. "He'll have a hard time getting his wand back because apparently, it's now stuck in my ass."

Ginny almost rolled her eyes, but decided against it. She took the seat next to Hermione's.

"He was just kidding."

"Really, now, Gin? You sound like my mum when she tells me that the boys who tease me are the ones who secretly like me the most."

"Okay," said Ginny. "That's a ton of bull. But you have to admit," Ginny paused for a dramatic effect and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "Draco Malfoy is one hunk of a man."

Hermione wanted to agree but she also wanted to throw up. Her fingers itched to touch a bottle of Firewhisky, just to feel it in her hands. She needed to gulp it all down, just to feel the burn of it in her throat. She needed to forget all that Ginny has told her, just so she can sleep in peace. Hermione took one look at the grinning redhead and almost slapped her in the face. Ginny Weasley was always one to be blunt- be it a trait from her incorrigible brothers – but it never seemed to be much of a problem to Hermione until now. She had definitely made Hermione think of Malfoy's gait, the toned muscles in his arms, the god-like legs.

Groaning, Hermione placed her head in her hands once again. She desperately needed some Ogden's Old Firewhisky, and no one (especially Ginny Weasley) can stop her.

_But Malfoy certainly is a handsome young fellow, _the single woman inside Hermione told herself.

Hermione decided that she desperately needed that drink right _now_.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked up and was instantly separated from her thoughts. "Harry?"

Harry Potter glanced at the distraught Hermione and gave a rather heavy sigh. He obviously didn't think it would turn out to be like this. Hermione was usually compassionate and understanding, but Harry somewhat understood that old habits die hard. He was just surprised with how Malfoy was still _Malfoy_ and how Hermione- who is now usually so out of character- acted like _Hermione_.

"'_Don't be rash, Harry!_'" mocked Harry, raising the pitch of his voice to match a female's. Hermione gave him a menacing glare that he chose to ignore. "Imagine if Ron were here to see this. He wouldn't be able to make up his mind. _To hex Malfoy? Or to laugh at Hermione's state?_"

Hermione crossed her arms across her chest and Ginny watched them both with amusement.

"A word to Ronald about this, and I will _hex_ you," Hermione threatened, her fingers inching towards the pocket where her wand was. "Constant vigilance, you see, Harry."

"Glad to see Mad-Eye's little mantra is serving you well."

Ginny rolled her eyes and decided to speak up. She cleared her throat. "I do like how we're all just showering each other with sarcasm, but you all are forgetting why we're actually here."

Hermione had the decency to blush, her cheeks turning red quickly. "Yes, Ginny, I'm sorry," she apologized before turning to look at Harry. "Is Malfoy sane at the moment?"

Harry shook his head. "No," he answered, "The Healers had to knock him out."

"He didn't even drink any water yet!" Hermione said incredulously.

Ginny shook her head. "So now you actually _care_ if Malfoy has a drink or not?" she muttered under her breath.

Hermione gave a sharp look. "I heard that," she said haughtily, her nose up in the air.

Ginny rolled her eyes. Turning to her fiancée, she asked, "When will Malfoy be up for some questioning?"

Harry took the seat beside Ginny and placed her hand in his. Hermione watched the scene unfold with a small smile, slightly jealous to see such beautiful affection. It hadn't been a surprise, of course. Harry and Ginny were just made to be.

"Let's give him an hour," said Harry.

Hermione nodded in return. "May I hex him in an hour?"

"_'Don't be rash_,'" Harry repeated, causing Ginny to break into giggles.

**...**

* * *

**…**

After an hour had passed, Hermione, with a Healer hot on her trail, walked into Draco Malfoy's room with a mission and a huge headache.

Hermione turned to face the skinny Healer. "What was your name again? Lisa?" Hermione asked, and she watched in amusement as Lisa the Healer's blue eyes went wide.

"Yes, Miss Granger."

Hermione took one look at Draco, who was still in an unconscious state, and tried to resist the urge to hurt him. She placed her hand on Lisa's shoulder. "Please wake him up now. And once he does come to, please leave us alone for a few minutes."

"Yes, Miss Granger."

Lisa moved towards Malfoy's bed and tapped his head with her wand. "Renervate."

Draco Malfoy suddenly awoke, gasping for air. His throat tightened and burned and he desperately wanted a drink of water. He looked beside him and found a mousey looking Healer with huge blue eyes. She had her wand at hand and looked like she was afraid to come even closer.

"Thank you, Lisa," a voice said from the doorway.

He turned to find the owner of the voice and found Granger standing there, with a plastic cup in her hands. Quickly, Lisa scurried away and out of the room, mumbling to Hermione. He saw Hermione give her a small nod. She closed the door behind her. Draco felt defenceless without his wand and his proper clothing. He wanted to take a stab at that Mudblood Granger.

Hermione did not come any closer. She studied Malfoy for a moment, taking in his aristocratic features and his haunting grey eyes.

"Are you going to hand me that cup of water or not?" said Draco.

Hermione frowned. "Why would you think this is a cup of water and not a cup full of poisonous liquid?"

"Because you wouldn't tell me that it could be a cup of poisonous liquid if that cup actually did have poisonous liquid in it."

Grudgingly, Hermione walked forward and gave the cup to Malfoy. With a small sigh, Draco took the cup from her hands and quickly gulped down the water that Hermione had offered. The flames dancing in his throat was now put out, and he gave another relieved sigh as he emptied the cup of its contents. Hermione watched, fascinated, at how quickly Draco finished all the water she had.

"Quenched?"

"Yes," Draco replied, without a word of thanks. He studied the woman before him before handing back the cup. He noticed how she still had the untamed hair and the fiery Gryffindor temper. She was still infuriating and frustrating but she did have a great body- lithe and tiny. Hermione took the cup from his hands. He decided to ask her a harmless question. "Who was that little Gryffindor redhead again? The Weasley girl?"

"Ginny," Hermione replied in slight surprise with the way Draco had asked her a question.

"She's Harry's girlfriend?"

"Actually, Harry proposed to her two weeks ago."

Draco smirked. "Pothead has a fiancée," he murmured to himself. He faced Hermione's surprised gaze. "How about you? Still a virginal little chit?"

Hermione felt the anger surge in her and clenched her hands tightly, ignoring the heat in her cheeks. _Devil's spawn_, she thought furiously, teeth gritting in rage. She forced herself to calm down and show a little more dignity, trying to relax her shoulders. No, Hermione Granger will _never_ let Draco Malfoy have his way. She had pride in herself, just like the Gryffindor she was. That little ferret will never get to her.

Standing proud and tall, Hermione gave a tilt of her chin. "If you're asking me if I'm married, then no, I am not married. Nor am I dating anyone."

"No," said Draco, a crooked smile coming from his lips. "I'm asking you if you ever get shagged."

Hermione gave a loud gasp. "W-what?"

"You know, do you actually let men have their way with you or are you a fiery little-"

"Stop it, this instant!" Hermione cried. The palms of her hands covered her ears in an effort to block everything that Malfoy was saying. "I will hex you to oblivion, I swear it!"

"That's what _all_ the fiery ones say," said Draco, clearly enjoying the turn of events.

Hermione instantly regretted giving him the cup of water. She shouldn't have tried to help this infuriating scoundrel. She should have told Harry to place him in with the Dementors, where Malfoy truly belonged. Hermione's cheeks were red with embarrassment, her knuckles white from the way she clenched them tightly. Chocolate brown met steel grey as she glared at him with obvious fury. Draco returned her gaze in an effort to challenge her.

"Oh great," said Harry, walking into the room, "You've had a heart-to-heart talk."

She swiftly spun around to clutch Harry's robes with trembling hands. "Please, Harry," she whispered, pleading with her eyes, "I take it all back. Let's bring him straight to the Dementors. Please."

Harry fought a laugh. "But you said he could be useful, Hermione," the wizard reasoned. "He's a smart guy. Remember? Hogwarts?"

"Stop using my words against me!" the frustrated witch cried out, removing her hands from Harry's robes. "Where's Ron? He'll _definitely_ side along with me."

"What a _fantastic _reunion this is," the hospitalized blond drawled. "Anyone up for a quick photo?"

"You shut your mouth!" Hermione snapped at him, and Draco feigned a look of hurt. He sat up on his bed, giving her a look of contempt.

"Look," he growled, "I will not act like some obedient little kid. Don't try to tame me like I'm some sort of rabid animal. My parents were killed by Death Eaters, and I don't need this little game of yours, Granger. I want to find whoever killed them, and I need to get out of here."

The brunette felt nothing but resentment towards the blond. He made her wish that she was back at home, sobbing while drowning in bottles of Firewhisky and wine. She was thirsty- not for water- but for a quick drink, so she can just forget everything and be happy for once. Merlin knows how much she needed happiness, how much she needed a frequent getaway, how much she needed the quickest escape imaginable.

"We will get you out of here once you're checked by the Healers," Harry responded, "But I'm afraid you will have to come with us for a quick questioning and-"

"YOU BLOODY THINK _I_ DID IT?" Draco bellowed, his jaw clenched. His eyes let out a look of disbelief.

"No." Harry replied; his voice calm yet firm. "Of course not, Malfoy. We just need to know what happened that's all."

"I don't need help finding them, Potter," he sneered, "If you forget, I'm basically one of them too."

Hermione and Harry were both rendered speechless.

Draco used this to his advantage and kept himself talking. "Death Eaters have marks. We have a way of calling each other- the slightest touch and everyone knows just where you are," he pulled up the sleeve of his hospital gown and showed them the permanent tattoo he had received from Voldemort. His hands glided along the edges of the tattoo, not touching it- but close. "You wouldn't dare bring them into all this, am I right? You wouldn't dare endanger the lives of many others in this hospital."

"Malfoy," said Harry, "We know you're not a part of it."

"Do you?" the blond challenged. "Are you really sure?"

Hermione looked at him, and he looked at her back with that little crooked smile of his.

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry, Draco isn't some psycho killer- or is he? Have a good, dear laugh with me, please. Also, I think I should place an M rating for this one, there will be sexual innuendos and as you've already noticed, there will also be a whole lot of swearing and I don't think that actually lives up to the T rating.**

**Anyways- please read and review, I'd love to hear from all of you!**


End file.
